From the House of Mars Everyday I go out into the world to work or play and every night I come home to the House of Mars to make sense of it all

I can tell the month by the junk mail contents of my mailbox. If it’s full of seed catalogs, it must be January. It was worse when I had high hopes of creating a floral paradise at The House of Mars. Back then, I’d repair to the basement each March to germinate the seeds that arrived in the mail so they’d be ready to plant in May, after the danger of frost had passed.

It took a few years but those seed companies have figured out that I now buy clearance perennials from Home Depot at the end of summer, plant them, forget where and what I planted and am thrilled and surprised when a “mystery plant” appears the next summer. Now one, maybe two catalogs appear in my mailbox. But charities? That’s a different story.

All December the mail jeep specializes in end-of-the year pleas. I’m a sucker for animal charities but there came a point I decided I could do more good by concentrating on a few, rather than donating a few dollars to every request accompanied by a mournful picture and story of a rescued puppy or kitten.

But still, they come. And a few give me pause.

This one gets the award for wasteful spending.Why should I give them money when they’re sending everyone on their mailing list five cents? I can’t help but think the wolves would be better served if they spent the money on them.

This wins for untruth in advertising. Although I managed to miss free gift in my photo, the details within tell the whole story.

Their definition of free is $20.

This one’s the creative stretch of the imagination in interpreting where my interests lie. 4H may deal with animals, farm animals, but I don’t think they meet a happy end after the fair.

And now, a drum roll, please, for the WTF award.

When it gets a little warmer I’ll go out and see if any of my trees are willing to participate in the survey.

Meta

I am trying to make sense of a world that changes daily. Blackberries,I-phones, I-pads, Bluetooths. No, blueteeth, that sounds better. And there's the rub, you see? For me, it's the words, not the things. Words are to describe moments of our lives, and that's it. That's what I'm all about. Unplugging and taking my time to experience everyday life so I can put it to words